Photonic interconnects for computer system devices

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to photonic interconnects that can be used for on-chip as well as off-chip communications between computer system components. In one embodiment of the present invention, a photonic interconnect comprises a plurality of on-chip waveguides. Additionally, the photonic interconnect may include a plurality of off-chip waveguides, and at least one optoelectronic converter. The at least one optoelectronic converter can be photonically coupled to a portion of the plurality of on-chip waveguides, can be photonically coupled to a portion of the plurality of off-chip waveguides, and is in electronic communication with at least one computer system component.

1. An arbitration system comprising:
 a loop waveguide; 
 a power waveguide optically coupled to a source that injects unmodulated channels of light into the power waveguide, each channel corresponding to a cluster; 
 microrings disposed between and adjacent to the power waveguide and the loop waveguide, each microring in the set configured to have resonance with one of the channels and evanescently couple the channel from the power waveguide into the loop waveguide; and 
 interior microring groups, each microring group having a number of microrings disposed adjacent to the loop waveguide and electronically coupled to a cluster, such that each microring in a group is configured to extract a channel propagating in the loop waveguide when selectively activated and send an electrical signal to the electronically coupled cluster. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the loop waveguide and power waveguide further comprise ridge waveguides. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the microring in the group further comprises a detector that detects the channel extracted in the microring and generates the electrical signal sent the corresponding computer cluster. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein each microring in a group further comprises a p-i-n junction. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the channels injected into the power waveguide travel in a first direction and the channel propagating in the loop waveguide travels in a second direction, the second direction opposite the first direction. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein each microring in a group is configured to extract the channel when selectively activated further comprises the cluster applying an electrical signal to the microring. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein selectively activated further comprises the microring shifted into resonance with the channel. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1  further comprises the microrings of the interior microring groups configured to be off resonance with the channels when not activated. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1  wherein the electrical signal sent to the corresponding cluster further comprises the cluster granted exclusive access to a resource. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1  wherein each channel further comprises a wavelength of light. 
     
     
       11. An optical arbitration method comprising:
 injecting one or more channels into a power waveguide from an electromagnetic radiation source, wherein each channel is associated with access to a resource; 
 diverting the one or more channels from the power waveguide into a loop waveguide, wherein the channels circulate in the loop waveguide; 
 actively diverting a channel from the loop waveguide by a cluster; 
 determining the channel is diverted from the loop waveguide by the cluster; and 
 the cluster exclusively accessing the resource associated with the channel for a period time. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein each channel is a pulse of unmodulated electromagnetic radiation of a particular wavelength. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11  wherein diverting the one or more channels from the power waveguide into the loop waveguide further comprises:
 evanescently coupling each channels from the power waveguide into an associated microring; and 
 evanescently coupling the channel from the associated microring into the loop waveguide, wherein each associated microring is configured to have resonance with one channel. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11  wherein actively diverting the channel from the loop waveguide by the cluster further comprises the cluster activating a microring resonator disposed adjacent to the loop waveguide, wherein the microring resonator when activated is in resonance with the channel. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein activating the microring resonator further comprises the cluster sending electrical signals to the microring resonator such that the microring resonator is shifted into resonance with the wavelength of the channel. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11  wherein determining the channel is diverted from the loop waveguide by the cluster further comprises the channel resonating in a microring resonator disposed adjacent to the loop waveguide and the channel generating an electrical signal that is sent to the cluster. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11  further comprising changing channel to resource assignments when the cluster is finished accessing the resource. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11  wherein the resource further comprises a cluster. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 11  further comprising when the cluster determines that the channel is not diverted from the loop waveguide, the cluster waits for a subsequent round of arbitration to assert another attempt at accessing the resource.